Father, we confess we are sinners, saved by grace and that when we reach for a relationship with Jesus, He willingly accepts us, forgives us and cleanses us.
We seek Your mercy, not Your judgment
Life here is nothing like life eternal
You, Jesus, are the pivot point upon which all of eternity turns. Without You and the ultimate sacrifice You made for us, our sins would still be with us.
Sorrow sets the stage for repentance and eternal life
Father, You have taught us that humility and contrition precede repentance and now we see that it is accompanied by sorrow, genuine sorrow for our sins. This sorrow is not the sort of sorrow the world feels about having made mistakes but it is sorrow leading to repentance and to the joy of a changed heart.
Let the person who has not sinned cast the first stone
Then You teach us that the scribes (lawyers) and Pharisees (religious leaders) are in the role of accusers. You did not say they accused falsely, Jesus, You said they too commit sins of various kinds and if any of them thought they were without sin, then step up and cast the first stone in the killing process.
My life is really messed up…I know, let’s blame someone else.
Father, at times we behave as though we have the heart of an unbeliever. Is Satan allowed to test our resolve, our level of committment? Since every true believer is saved forever, we need Your help in seeking Your perfect will in every situation.